Flaring tool



G. E. FRANCK July 22, 1952 FLARING TOOL Filed March 3l, 1950 JM WMM, @MTM L;

Patented July l22, 1952 uNi'rlezb FLARING 'roofJ 5;-

poration of Illinois v Application March 31, 1950Serial No.'153,1l9 y This invention relates generally to a tube working tool and more particularly to a tool forforming and burnishing a flare on tubing.

The general object of the. invention is to provide a new and improved tube working tool and more particularly one adaptedto perform both a flaring and burnishing operation. z

Another object of the. invention isthe provision of means permitting a selective operation of the tool to perform either flaring or burnishing of a tube. V

Another object is the provision of a tool having means rst advancing a flaring cone toward a tube held in proper position to flare the tube and then vmeans "for disengaging the advancement of the cone to allow a burnishing operation to be performed.

Another object is the provision of a tube working tool having means .permitting a slight advance of the flaring cone into the flare following the flaring operation and during the first portion of the burnishing operation,

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

which: l

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the tube working tool of this invention, partly in section, and showing a tube held in operative position in dotted lines; y

Fig. 2 is anenlarged, diametrical sectional view taken substantially along line 2--2 inFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken substantially along line v3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged irregular section taken partially diametrically and partially through the detent means at right angles to Fig. 2. f Y

While I have shown and shall hereafter describe one embodiment of the invention, itis to be understood that it is capable of many modiflcations. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

In systems or mechanisms wherein thin Walled tubing is employed as, for example, refrigeration. controls, automotive, air craft, etc., a piece of tubing is coupled to some device such asa coolant coil, a carburetor lor to another piece of tubing by means, commonlyv referred to in the trade as, a fitting. In order that the tubing may besecurely fastened in fluid tight relationship, as well as, to be restrained against pullingout of the fitting, the endof the tube is usually ared outwardly afterone part of the kfitting has been pelgrims. (Crise-sn slipped over the tube. This'iiaring of the end of a tubefis usually performed by a Workman in the field requiring the employment of .a hand flaring tool. f

Referring now to the drawings, the tube working tool comprises a yoke I0 open at the end Il and 'having .inwardly projecting ledges |12 and I2a for grasping a tube'clamping member I3 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In well known manner, a tube I4 to be flared is 'clamped in position in the tube clamping member I3 after which the yoke, I is placed astraddle the clamping member I3 in axial alignment with the tube. When in this position,'the tool is properly placed to.l perform a flaring operation on the endof the tube I4. A flare I5 .(as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l) may be'formed.. a

The flaring operation is performed by a flaring cone fast on the end of a member here shown as a stem 2| projecting: rotatably through the closed or joined end ofthe yoke l0. Secured to the projecting end of thestem 2l is a handle 22 bymeans ofwhich the stem and the conemay be rotated. Preferably the cone carries a plurality of rollers 23 (herein three) in appropriately formedrecesses extending from the apex to the base V'of the cone in the conical surface thereof. The rollers .23 are retained rotatably in the recesses by swaging the margins of the recesses inwardly near the ends of the recesses so as to make the recessesy at those points smaller than the diameter of the rollers. As an aid toretaining4 the rollers, there; is provided an annular ring 24 generally L-shaped in cross section adapted to be mounted in surrounding relation to the base of the cone with a longitudinally extendingA flange 24a circumscribingthe periphery ofthe cone base. The ring is held against rotation relative to the cone by means of, a finger 25 struck out of a flange portion 24h and into a recess 26 formed in the cone base for that purpose.

`l `Means is provided herein for advancing the cone;v as an incident to rotation thereof in order to` adapt it to make the are vand for permitting the. cone to be rotated Without advancementv to permit of a rolling or burnishing operation wherebythe flared portion has-removed from it any slight marks or irregularities that might otherwhich is longitudinally movable relative to the yoke, and the other set being longitudinally stationary with respect to the yoke so that, depending upon the relative rotation of the sets of threads, the cone is rotated and advanced or retracted, or rotated Without advancement. Herein this vmember takes theform of a tubular sleeve 27 having external.- threads 28, constituting the longitudinally movable set, formed over the major portion thereof and terminating in a head 2 9Y having a diameter slightly larger than that of the base of the cone. The longitudinally stationary f pression in the flared end of the tube Where the set of threads is herein formed in the yoke l0 with the sleeve member 21Nextending xthreadedly therethrough. At its outer or projecting'end the sleeve carries a ring 3G for limiting inward movement. The head of the sleeve is `provided .with an annular external recess for the reception of the radial ange portion 24h of the ring 24 and with an internal recess 3l for the reception of a bushing 4:5 nonrotatably secured ito the stem v2| by means of ia diametrical pin 41", y*the .-function of the V'latter `beingmore zfully 'described hereinafter. The sleeve 2l is hollow anda .st'em`2z'l extendscoaxially throughv 4the sleeve and'is ariotatable therein.' The v'stern `and sleeve are so arranged to lpc'xsition the upper suriace 33 of the cone .2li againstthe lowervinner end surface `3ft of the :enlarged-portion of the sleeve. These surfaces "33 andxlv are ,generally vin frictional'engagement and arefalways-.so arranged when any load .or force iseXerteda'gainst the rollers 23' oi thecone 20.

y .In 'performing `.the flaring operation, the flaring cone is advanced vtoward the Vtube While rotating A the cone. ,'During this operation, means is provided for locking the stem 21,'whieh is integral with the cone 2li, to the sleeve 2.2.7 in Yorder that thefthreadedipertion `28 .may y'feedthe cone :toward the tube. Herein Athis* means takes the VVform of a catch :member 1l3`selectively engageable yto lock the stem and. sleeve together. .Asbest seen in Fig. 2,. the enlarged .portion Z9 :of -the sleeve has a bore :411 extending transversely therethrough normal to the axis :of .the sleeve. lThe .bore Vl0 extends towithina short .distance of 'the opposite sideoi the portionzleaving Aa small annular ringflll having ranopening 42 therein smaller vin size than fthe .bore-411.V The tcatchjniember 43 is positionedin'thebore tojlock the 'stem 2.! :and sleeve together.. .To perform this function, `a bushing -45 :of :generally cylindrical .shape yandhaving a longitudinal :slot l46 in' one side .thereof is fas-` tened to the stern 2l., -a'seby meansofpin 4l. The

catch vmember litiiis .provided with a .detent 118r conforming con'guration vwith vthe bslot 461m the bushing 335. The detent A8 vis .carried a generallycylindrical body .portion llzhaving an annular'collar .5I 'adjacent the Vdetent-land a nger' buttonl52 4pinned to the outer end ofthe body iportion. A helical :spring 53 is compressedv Vrollersy 23 stopped. In order to eliminate any such 'irregularities left by the rollers 23, a burnishthe.sleeveand'stemareiireed for#rotationalmove"v ment, one .-Wirthrespect to the' other but-"thefbut-- ing.. operation next performed. Herein this burnishing voperation consists of a very slight advance; of the Ycone followed by rotation of the cone Without any axial advance.

To effect this burnishing operation, the operator grasps the button 52 and pulls the detent eutofithe' 4slot #E rotating it. about the axis of they-catch Vto,.',tmn` the detent .across ythe slot, as shown in dotted .',linesiin :Figej handle '22 isfthen turned innth'e same.direction as during the. liaringoperation. Due 'to the frictional forces that existfbetween thestem and the sleeve, as for example between the surfaces `33' and 34, thefsleeve. is causedzto rotate with the st'em'until the :button :E2-strikes one of `the 'legs of 4the yoke 'lili "This:slightgrdtationalmovement of the sleeve advances the flaring cone into the tube justa sliglitidistance to compensate .for any backing-off oi the Lfcone ithat .may have accidentally .occurred during .lt-hegpulling `outof the :catch member-133, and also zto.I be `icertain that .the 'subsequent burnishingiis .ata depth to 'be effective 'toremove any and all markings that may have 'been made bythe rollers.. L. Y With .the catch vvmember -tSfnow 'holding the sleeve.againstrotation relative ito .the yoke, continued 'rotation- -of the .'stem vwill .rotate Vthe `cone without any advancement thereof.v Thus :the conenoyv irons outanyirregularities :in the ared Dilrtiongof:thetube..V y I After v.the operator has Vburnished the nare, making it perfectly round, he may back the handle theopposite/direction and turn the button 352 lto :align =the' detent l118 lwith ,the .slot 46.

After? the isleeve and stem are again in locked position, the flaring cone may be backed out ofV the tube and another tube :inserted in the lclampingjblock 13A--tovper-iormv avsubsequen-t lrepeat operationl ,f 'Y w- I'claim as'rnyinvention;-V I k A tubeii/1drkingtoo-l comprising, ya yoke,A a sleeve having -agpertien'threadably receivedy inV the closed endff `tiuejye'ke anct-anjle'nlllged portion en -i-tsinnerfenfd, YaI stern -exjtendi-ngjcoaxially through -thesleeve andY ifotatafb-le'therein, `a-iiaring.

elemntlotheinner iend'oi thestem and having aisfurfac Vrictionally;erigaging-the,inner end 'of -sleeve a handle mounted jon the fou-ter end ofV the stem and a spring pressed catch-member mounted in said enlargedgpertion-ef thsleeveand stem adjacent the ilaring cone and having a longitudinal slot in one side thereof and a catch means mounted in the enlarged portion of said sleeve selectively movable to a position in said slot to lock the stem and sleeve together.

3. Apparatus of the character described in claim 2 in which said catch means comprises a cylindrical body portion, a substantially rectangular detent on the inner end of the body portion adapted to enter the slot in said bushing and a button on the outer end of the body portion for vmanual selective positioning of the detent in said slot, said button extending outwardly to abut the yoke when the detent is out of said slot.

4. Apparatus of the character described in claim 2 in which a plurality of rollers are positioned in the face of said cone andan annular collar is positioned about the base of thel cone partially between said cone and the inner end of the sleeve to retain said rollers in proper position on the cone face. Y

5. A tube working tool comprising,V a yoke, a

sleeve having an outer portion'threadably received in the closed end of the yoke and an inner enlarged portion, a stem vextending coaxially through the sleeve and having a flaring cone on its inner end, and detent means positioned in said enlarged portion selectively engageable with said stem to lock the sleeve and stem together, said detent means having a linger actuated button for selective manual placement of the detent means in and out of locking position, said button being adapted to strike a portion of the yoke to hold the sleeve against rotation with the stem when out of locking position and to clear the yoke when in position locking the sleeve and stem together. l

6. A tube flaring and burnishing tool comprising a yoke, a sleeve having an outer portion threadably received in the closed end of the yoke and an inner enlarged portion, a stem extending coaxially through the sleeve and rotatable therein, a flaring cone on the inner-end of said stem having a surface frictionally engaging the inner end surface of said enlarged portion of the sleeve, a bushing secured to said stem immediately above said cone and Within the enlarged portion oi.' the sleeve, said bushing being generally cylindrical with a longitudinal slot in one side, a catch member mounted in said enlarged portion and having a detent on its inner end corresponding in configuration with said slot, a spring about said catch member urging the detent toward said bushing and a button on the outer end of the catch member for rotating said member about its axis to align said detent with said slot, said sleeve and stem being locked together when the detent is positioned in said slot and being movable together by said frictionally engaging surfaces and by friction of the detent against the bushing when the detent is moved out of the slot, said button being adapted to abut the yoke to permit movement of the stem relative to the sleeve when the detent is out of locking engagement with the bushing,

7. A tube flaring tool comprising a yoke, a sleeve threadably mounted in the closed end of the yoke, a stem extending coaxially through the sleeve and rotatable therein, a aring cone on the inner end of said stem, a plurality of rollers positioned in recesses on the conical surface of the cone, said recesses having side portions spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the rollers, an annular collar about the base of the cone between the cone and sleeve to retain the rollers on the cone and a detent means mounted in the sleeve selectively engageable with the stem to lock the stem and sleeve together.

8. A tube working tool comprising a yoke, a pair of members including a sleeve rotatable in i the closed end of the yoke and a stem extending coaxially through the sleeve and rotatable therein, a flaring element on the inner'end of the stem and having a surface bearing against the inner end of the sleeve, said stem havingra manually operable portion for turning the stem and flaring element about the axis of the stem, mating sets of threads with one of the sets on one of saidV members longitudinally movable with respect to the yoke and the other set being longitudinally stationary With respect to the yoke whereby said threads may advance the stem for performing a flaring operation, and a catch on one of said members selectively movable to one position positively to lock the stem and sleeve for joint rotation and movable to another position for releasing the members and engaging the yoke for hold- .ing the sleeve against rotation when relative rotation between said members is desired.V

GEORGE E. FRANCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS l I-Iorman July 12, 1949 

